Window fastener



Oct. 29 1929. J sKA ET AL 1,733,420

WINDOW FASTENER Filed March 9. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l mum Patented Get. 29, 1929 PATENT OFFEQE.

JOSEPH F. M'ASKA AND FRANK G. ERHART, OF CICERO, ILLINOIS WINDOW FASTENER Application filed March 9- 1928.

This invention relates to an improved window latch or sash fastener comprising co-opcrating elements adapted tobe applied to the inside of the upper and lower sashes and in which one element co-operates with the other to lock the sashes in closed posit-ions or to permit either or both to be held open slight ly within a restricted range in such a way that the degree of opening will not permit v unauthorized entry through the window but which will at the same time give the necessary ventilation as well as permitting adjustment of the opening according to weather conditions and temperature.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel window latch or sash fastener which can be applied to window sashes having an extended portion or lug at the sides of the lower sash and extending upwardly whether they be tapered or square or applied to the top of the meeting rail of the lower sash and comprising a novel catch member adapted to co-operate with a novel form of notched bar which will positively prevent the zssashes from being opened further when the parts are engagedin an adjusted position, but in which the catch member may be readily disengaged from the notched bar and held in an inoperative position permanently if desired, so that the sashes may be freely moved to open or closed positions.

Broadly, the concept of the invention is a notched member mounted on the upper sash, although of novel construction as will be hereinafter pointed out and a co-operating catch member mounted at the top of the lower sash and adapted to be moved or pivoted into and out of position to engage the notched bar and held inoperative if desired by means com prising a part thereof and without requiring that it be held inoperative with one hand when itis desired to freely move the sashes but which normally will remain in engaged position in connection with the notched bar and will prevent opening of the sashes whether they be fully closed or slightly open but will not interfere with their closing, and which in case of an attempt to obtain ingress by unauthorized persons in attempting to make entry through a window will give a Serial No. 260,283.

loud ratchet noise, serving as a signal to warn occupants of such attempted entry.

l/Vith the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in certan novel combinations and arrangement of parts, the relation of which will be more thoroughly established in the following descriptionparticularly emphasizing and pointing out the same.

I n the accompanying drawings 1- Fig. l is a fragmentary inside elevation showing the novel window latch or sash fastener applied to sashes, the side rail of the lower sash having an upwardly extending portion or lug.

F 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 but showing the device applied to the top of the meeting rail of a lower sash which is fiat or not provided with such a lug.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on the section line 33 of Figure 1.

Fig. 1 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the section line 4.l of Figure 3.

Fig. 5 is a detail horizontal sectional view taken on the section line 55 of Figure 3.

Fig. 6 is a face view of the notched bar showing the manner in which the same is .stamped from a strip of sheet metal.

Fig. 7 is a similar view of the notched be. after being formed.

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view taken on the section line 88 of Fig. 7 and Figs. 9 and 10 are horizontal sectional views taken on the section lines 9-9 and 101O of Figure 7.

Referring to the drawings in detail, 1 designates the lower sash having the top or meeting rail 2 which is shown provided with an upwardly extending portion or lug 3 on the side rail, in the form shown in Figures 1, 3 and 4;, and tapered or beveled off as indicated at 4. Applied to this lug or the flat top or meeting rail in the form shown in Figure 2, is a catch member which comprises a right angular plate having a vertical portion 5 and a horizontal top portion 6, the former of which is adapted to fit against the inner face of the lug or meeting rail and to be secured in position by screws or other fastening means 7. Preferably three holes are provided in the vertical part 5, two near the top adjacent the bend or angle and one near the lower extremity, all three of which are used in connection with a flat meeting rail as shown in Figure 2 but only two which are used in connection with the lug 3, owing to the tapering formation at- 4:.

The outward extending horizontal or top portion 6 has two openings receiving fastening means 8 which also may be screws or the like. This firmly anchors this part in position. The angular plate at its top portion 5 has parallel side flanges 9 directed upwardly, this structure being formed of a single stamping of sheet metal of the proper weight, thickness and strength. These flanges are apertured near the outer edge of the portion 6' to provide pivot ears, while the flanges add strength and rigidity to the plate.

Pivoted to the plate over the portion 6 and between the ears 9 is another plate 10 which has tapered side flanges 11 also bent upwardly and enlarging inwardly where they are also apertured to iit between the ears 9 whereby the parts may be hinged or pivotally connected by a pin 12 riveted in position and adapted to receive thereon a coil spring 13 having arms 1a and 15 extended in opposite directions at the ends thereof to press against the top faces of the respective plates and normally hold the free end of the plate 10 against the inner face of the side rail of the upper sash. It will 'be noted particularly in Figure 3 of the drawings that the pivot ears 11 project inwardly beyond the inner edge of the plate 10 to prevent said edge interfering with the proper movements of the hinged or pivoted plate 10, as indicated at 16.

The flanges 11 in addition to being apertured to produce pivot ears also add rigidity and strength to the plate 10 in such a manner that with the use of proper steel or other sheet metal an enormous amount of weight or strain can be resisted so as to prevent opening of the sashes when once fastened, especially in view of the fact that the parts are mounted on the inside and are not accessible between the meeting rails of the sashes excepting by very thin flat instruments which would be useless to disengage the catch owing to the structure of the notched bar, as will be later pointed out.

The flanges 11 also terminate short of the free end of the plate 10 to provide shoulders 17. Said free end is preferably tapered or beveled at the top to extend at an angle as indicated at 18 to insure its operation and also cause any strain thereon to be exerted substantially in the plane of the plate.

In order that the catch may be held inoperative, the plate 10 is provided with an eye or hook 19 preferably punched therefrom to which one end of a handle 20 of wire or the like may be pivotally anchored as by a loop or eye 21. The handle 20 is in the form of a finger ring and normally rests on the spring 13 in an upright position or slightly spaced therefrom, but by pulling on this handle, the edge 18 of the plate 10 may be pivoted into disengaged position and by loopingor catching the finger ring 20 at its free end beneath a notch 22 of an offset, lug or hook 23 stamped inwardly from the plate 5 in horizontal position, the device may be held inoperative without requiring one to hold on to the catch as with ordinary devices employing spring bolts or the like. Thus the sashes may be freely raised or lowered.

The notched bar with which the catch member co-operates is indicated generally at 21 and is stamped from a single section of said metal of proper thickness and strength to provide side flanges 25 extending outwardly to engage the inner face of the side rail of the upper sash and also a bottom flange 26. First, however, the plate is stamped flat and slit at regular intervals as shown at 27 partially across its width to provide tongues 28 which are also severed at the sides as indicated at 29 and adapted to be pressed in with forming dies to bend at the bottom as indicated by the dotted lines 30 to assume the formation shown in Figures 7 to 10 inclusive. This leaves openings or slots 31 between the spaced intermediate portions 32 and the free upper edges of the tongues 28, which, with the side portions or flanges 29 serve to receive the free edge 18 of the plate 10 of the catch member so as to positively prevent the lowering of the upper sash or the raising of the lower sash when the device is in use.

, In order to attach the notched bar, the upper tongue 28 is apertured to receive a screw or other fastening means 33. A similar fastening means 34 may be applied to one of the spaced intermediate portions or bars 32 about midway of the length of the notched bar. A similar fastening 35 is engaged through an aperture in the lower portion 36 of the strip from which the notched bar is produced. This provides an extremely firm anchoring means for the notched bar, and the number of tongues or beveled portions as well as the notches or slots can be determined by the spacing desired and the adjustment which can be safely permitted without allowing the sashes to be opened to such an extent that a person may enter through the opening. The position of the notched bar on the upper sash will also vary according to the type of lower sashthat is, whether it has a lug as shown in Figure 1 or has a flat meeting rail at the top thereof as indicated at Figure 2. WVhen it is desired to open the sashes the catch member is disengaged by inserting the finger in loop 20 and swinging the plate 10 in the direction indicated by the arrows in Figure 3 or by anchoring the handle as shown in dotted lines in said figure, when the upper sash may be lowered or the lower sash raised to give the required opening for ventilating or for other purposes. lVhen the device is in operative position and the beveled free edge or end 18 of the plate 10 is engaged in a slot or notch and against the shoulders 37 produced thereby, the sashes cannot be moved further relatively until the catch memher is disengaged. However, should they be closed as by the lowering of the lower sash or the elevation of the upper sash, the force of the spring 13 pressing the plate 10 against the notched member or bar will cause a loud clicking or ratchet sound which will give a signal and warn the occupants of an attempt to tamper with the window and usually frighten off intruders.

It is also pointed out that the device serves to prevent burglary, as no home or building can be entered through a window where this super-window lock is installed without giving an alarmor destroying the sash. It also eliminates the danger of a child'falling out of an upper story window when partially open, as no person but an adult can reach the fixture to adjust it. At the same time the required amount of ventilation can be had by adjusting the window to suit in any of the positive stop positions. Furthermore, the device can be disengaged to allow for window cleaning and ventilation but it cannot be adjusted from the outside nor the inside except at the fixture. Moreover, it cannot be opened from the outside when set in fixed poistion due to the jamming of the catch in the slots or shoulders 31. The device can be readily installed in a few seconds time with a few screws and a screw driver.

While we have shown and described our invention in a preferred form, we are aware that va ious changes and modifications may i e made therein without departing from the principles of the invention, the scope of which may be determined by reference to the appended claims.

Vfe claim as our invention:

1. In a device of the class described, an angular plate havin means of attachment to the top and inside OI the meeting rail or extended lug of the lower sash of a window, a second plate pivoted thereto and having an engaging end, side flanges on both of said plates reinforcing and stiffening the same, said flanges being apertured to provide ears for pivotally connecting the plates, a spring mounted at the pivot and pressing on the plates to force the second plate into engagement with a notched member on the upper sash, and means on the second plate and cooperating with the inside portion of the first or angular plate for holding the second plate in a position swung to disengage it from the notched member.

2. In a device of the class described, an angular plate with a top portion and an inner depending portion having means of attachment to the top and inside of the meeting rail or extended lug of'the lower sash-of a window, a second plate pivoted thereto and hav ing an engaging end, flanges on both of said plates reinforcing and stiffening the same, saidfianges being apertruted to provide ears for pivotall'y connecting't-he plates, a spring mounted at the pivot and pressing on the plates to force the second plate into engage ment with a notched member on the upper sash. afinger-engaging member pivoted to the second plate, and a notched projection on the first plate adapted to be engaged by the finger-engaging member for holding the second plate in an inoperative position when swung away from the notched member.

3. In a window fastener of the class de scribed, a notched bar adapted to be mounted on one side of the upper sash of a window and catch member adapted to be mounted at the top of the lower sash and comprising an angular plate having apertured ears at the top horizonal portion thereof, a second plate having apertured ears extending from one end thereof pivoted to the first ears, a spring acting between the plates to force the second plate into engagement with the notched bar, a notched projection on the first plate at the vertical portion thereof, and a wire member pivoted to the second plate near its free end and having a finger loop to engage the notched projection to hold the second plate into position swung away from the upper sash and the notched bar.

4. In a window fastener of the class clescribed, a notched bar adapted to be mounted on one side of the upper sash of a window and a catch member adapted to be mounted at the top of the lower sash and comprising an angular plate having apertured cars at the top horizonal portion thereof, a second plate having apertured ears extending from one end thereof pivoted to the first cars, a spring acting between the plates to force the second plate into engagement with the notched bar, a notched projection on the first plate at the vertical portion thereof, and a handle mem ber pivoted to the second plate and having an eye to engage under the notched projection to hold the second plate in position swung away from the upper sash and the notched bar, and the second plate having the ears terminating short of the free end thereof forming side shoulders and said end and shoulders being adapted to engage the notches and sides of the bar, respectively.

5. In a window latch of the class described, anotched bar adapted to be mounted on one side of the upper sash of a window and a catch member adapted to be mounted at the top of the lower sash and comprising an angular plate having apertured ears at the top horizontal portion thereof, a second plate having apertured ears extending from one end thereof pivoted to the first ears, a spring acting between the plates to force the second plate into engagement with the notched'har, a notched projecion on the first plate at the vertical portion thereof, and the second plate having the'ears terminating short of the free end thereof forming side shoulders to engage the notched bar, means on the second plate to swing the second plate into a disengaged position with respect to the notched bar, and means co-operat-ing with the latter means whereby the second plate will be positively held in the position stated.

JOSEPH F. MASKA. FRANK G. ERHART. 

